We’ve noted before that going independent means that you get the opportunity to do everything required to produce, publish, and distribute your eBook. One of the funnest things we’ve done during this process was produce a book cover.
Book art is still an important marketing tool and every major eBook distribution channel requires a digital book cover to be uploaded with the manuscript. There are even independent eBook cover designers plying their wares on the Internet. We thought about paying a professional, but when we thought of a cover idea that would convey some of our story’s major themes, we decided to see if we could make our thoughts into reality.
Book art is still an important marketing tool and every major eBook distribution channel requires a digital book cover to be uploaded with the manuscript. There are even independent eBook cover designers plying their wares on the Internet. We thought about paying a professional, but when we thought of a cover idea that would convey some of our story’s major themes, we decided to see if we could make our thoughts into reality.
The first thing we needed was a butt. Not just any butt, mind you, but a teenage girl butt. Obtaining a suitable gluteus fell to Lynn since Evans kept picturing girls screaming and being questioned by the police no matter how innocently he phrased the request. When Lynn not only easily obtained a willing teenage rear end but also a couple of student photographers to capture the image, it made Evans wonder what services are really offered at the PHS Student Services Office.
The next thing we needed was a gun. Lynn asked a few of her redneck friends but it turns out they didn’t have the kind of gun that would work in the picture. The next place to obtain a gun was the drama department, and sure enough, the teacher came through. When it was time to shoot the picture at lunch, however, Lynn had a heck of a time walking across a crowded campus, giving out hugs to students with a gun stuck in the waistband of her pants.
Next came choosing the right picture after the photo shoot was completed. Scrolling through shot after shot of a bikini clad rear end is surprisingly hypnotic. It made us wonder how people who do that kind of work every day manage to keep from going crazy. Then it was time for playing with the image using photo manipulation software and adding the title and byline. It was hard to figure out where all the words should go without ruining the picture’s composition. The “ah ha” moment came when Evans proposed cutting away a third of the original picture and Lynn suggested enlarging the remaining backside to use like a billboard for part of the title.
Producing our first eBook cover was a fun, strange, and rewarding experience. We hope you enjoy the results. Let us know your thoughts!
Which photo student took the cover picture? This is Katelyn by the way :)
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